Machine for expanding metal.



N0. s21,as5. .PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

H. E. WHITE.

MACHINE FOR EXPANDING METAL.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR.2, 1904. RENEWED APR.11,19 06.

4 SHEETS-11113": 1.

Hansen: E. WHITE A B5 E. WHITE. MACHINE FOR EXPANDING METAL. 4. RENEWED APR.11, 1906.

APPLICATION FILED MARJ, 190

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PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

- PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

H. E. WHITE. MACHINE FOR EXPANDING METAL.

OATI N FILE AR 904 E RB RT E. w m: K r l UN D STA PATENT oEEIoE.

4 HERBERT EUGENE WHITE, on"ronnesrowniomo. ssrenon To THE GENERAL FmEP ooEINo COMPANY, or YoU es'roWN, OHIO, A"

T aZZ whom itmay concern):

oosroniirron or oino. v

MACHINE- FoR EXPANDENG METAL.

Iva 821,685.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1906.

- Appiicationfiled'hiareh 2,1904. RenewedApril 11, 1906'. smart. 211.129.

Be it known that I, HERBERT EUGENE WHITE, a citizen of the United-States, and'a resident of Youngstown, Ohio have invented certain new and usefulv Improvements 'in Machines for Expanding Metal, of which the following is a specification accompanied drawings.

This invention relates to machines for ex panding metal; and the objects of the invention are to improve upon the construction and operation of such machines and increase their efficiencywith simplicityof parts.

Another object of theinventionis to obviate the neessity of any positive feeding mechanism for feeding a sheet of metal to be operated upon, gravity alone being utilized for this purpose; A

Further objects-ofthe invention will hereinafter appear; and to these ends the invention consists of a machine for carrying out the above objects embodying the features of construction, combinations of elements, an arrangement of -parts having the genera mode of operation substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed in this specificationand sh'own in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the machine-1f Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesamen I Fig. 3 is a side view of the. machine, partly in section, taken from the side shown broken away in Fig. 2. This figure,

together with Figs. 4 and 5, illustrates the mechanism for shifting thepunch-bar laterally. Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section, of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front end view of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail plan (view of a portion-of the punchbar and the support for the work. Fig.7 is a side view of Fig. 6. Figs. .8 and 9 show a modification in plan and elevation of the sup port and punch-bar. Fig. 10 is a detail view showing the modificat on of the sup ort for the work. Fig. 1 Us a plan v ew of t e roduct of the diamond expanded metal orm-:

ing the product of the machine.

The diambnd expanded metal forming the product of this machine is shown .in Fig. 11, and in forming said products sheet of metal A to be acted upon is arranged in the ma chine vertically, as shown in Fig. 1, against the supportB, being held against the same bysuitable meansfas the spring-pressed device 0, provided with the-rollers C. metal of the sheet-A is thenslit and expanded by the operations of the machine. The expanded portions D of the sheet is forced in a substantially horizontal plane about at The 5 5 right angles .to the plane of theunslitted portion A of the sheet. The long and heavy sheet of metal A, as shown. is supported looselyinan upright positionnpon tl1e. supportE andis'fed downward by'gra'vity only,"

mg 'me'ansfor the, metal.

The loweredge of the sheet A, resting upon the sup ort E, is slit and expanded by the dFi amon -sl1aped cutters F of the punch-bar are first sheared by the punch-bar and then expanded, sis-described, in a plane substantially at right angles to the vertical plane of the sheet A. As the cutters F of the punchbar are withdrawn said bar F is moved auto- .75.

matically transversely to the machine to stagger thenext row of slits for the sheet. As the knives F are withdrawn from the sheet.- its weight causes it to dro downward from the knives or cutters to tli distance of the width of one of the portions sheared from the lower edge of the sheet. In this way the sheet is fed downward by gravity step by step at each stroke of-the ma thus obviatingthe necessity of positive feed- Portions of the lower edge of the sheet e support E the 8'0 chine the distance that is cut off of the lower edge. When it is desired to cut off a given width of the sheet after it has been expanded, the clamp G is brought up against the lower ortion of the sheet to prevent it from fee 'ing 0 downwardly, and then two'strokes of the punch-bar are made in succession while shifting ittransversely, so that a portion of the sheet is out off along its entire length. All

this may take place automatically in accord,- 9 5- 'ance with the construction of the machine.- The knives or cutters F- of the punch-bar are H, movable transversely of thema'chine with the carriage ,I, and any suitable means may 1 be provided for shifting the carriage 1 transin this instance carried by a block or support versely and for timing -said mechanism to I carry out the ob'ects of the invention.

The carriage with the block H, is carried upon the slidable carriageor member J, ac- 1 vtuated to and from the sheet by suitable .,6 ing the-clamp .G against mechanism. The carriage J in this instance slides upon the bed K. Sliding on top of the carriage J is the support 'L for the clamp G,.

as shown, the support L and carriage J being 5 relatively movable in a direction to and fromthe sheet.

Operative connections are provided for the carriage J and support L,-actuated from the main shaft 0, to which power is applied through the large gear-wheel P, adapted to be suitably connected to a source of power. Upon the shaft 0, as shown, is arranged the cam Q, driving the connecting-rod R, connected to operate the carriage J. As shown,

I5 the connecting-rod R is pivotally' connected to'the carriage by the pin S, and according to this construction the carriage will be given a reciprocating movement on t'he bed K of the niachine. Upon the shaft 0 is also pro- 2o 'vided'the'cam T for operating the clamp G,

carried by the slidable support L. The cam L T is provided with a high portion, a low portion, and shoulders U. A link'V is ognneoted to'the slidablesupport' L, while another 2; link or follower W, together with the link V,

forms a toggle-acting joint ivotally connected to the support X. The ollower W, forming one arm of the toggle, is provided with l a roller X",' 'bearing upon the periphery-of the earn '1. As the cam rotates it will be seen tliat the toggle will be made or broken to actuh te the-clamp G.

Suitable Ineansare provided affording pro- -vision for clamping sheets of different hick- 35 nesses between the clamp G and the support For this purpose the link V is pivoted to a member C While between said member-and the "abutting portion A of the carria'geLisarranged a wedge B The Wedge as its counterpart on the other side of the .machine, (not shown.) and 0ne wedge is .ldonnected to the bar G and the other to the bar G. Said bars are threaded right and left,.respectively, and'by'turning the right 4 5 *and left nut D the Wedges B may be moved in and out, thus adjusting the clamp G to :g'rip different thicknesses of metal. adjnstingrwed e S is shown in Figs. 1

and-2 for varyin for adjusting said wedge vertically.

as. Upon"a zcounter-shaft Y are provided n'atchet r 'wheels Z "Z", while suitable pawls re arranged*tojcoperate with Either one ""of .the "'pawls a or hjn'rfayabew ed at a time, but not-Qboth at rnnceaiaerktie'ach revolution of the main shaft filgthgerragtelievwheel Z; for instance, will be sap "theeratchet-wheel :Z "and carries a;- ifinger'o'r v v D t ethfow of the punchbar. suitab e means may be provided 72. forms a continuation of'the lower portion of the follower W. The parts are all so timed that the projection f will be raised to lock l the projection 9 after the clamp G is closed. The object of locking the clamp G closed, as l described, is to enable two strokes of the punch-bar to be made in succession to out or sever a portion of the sheet, as desired. Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, 0 represents the main driving-shaft, and l is a cam-shaft connected to beoperated from the main shaft bymeans of the pinion 2 and gear 3: The cam-shaft 1 is timed to make one revolution for each two revolutions of the main shaft 0. The carriage I for the punch-bar is operated from the cam-shaft 1. Theshaft l-fis prow vided with a slotted cam 4, with which a follower 5*en ages, carried by the arm 6 upon the rock-sha t 7 ,suitably supphrted on the machine. At the other end the rock-shaft is provided with an arm/8, connected by a I link 9 with (the sliding carriage I for the punch-bar. It will be seen that as the cam 1 shaft 1 rotates the shaft 7 Wlllb rocked, and thus the punch-bar will be moved transversely of the machine'to stagger the slits.

In Figs. 6 and 7 the support E for the I sheet is carried by the bracket 71, opposite the rentrant angle j of the 'cutters F; but in Figs. 8 and 9 the support E, it will be seen, is carried opposite the points of the cutters F. Either arrangement produces the same form of expanded metal; but lIl'lfllG case of Figs. 6 and 7 the sheet of nefifil" is always supported on the uncut ii nge'n ietween the apices of the portions that-are expanded. In

a construction like F igs, 8 and Qthe sheet is supported at the apices of theportions that are expanded. In FigHO a flirther modificationis shown, in which a support F is pivoted at F and adapted to be rocked by the operation of the punch-bar to permit the sheet A to feed downwardlyfby gravity after each stroke.

Obviously some-features of this invention may be used without others, .and the invention may be embodied in widely-differing forms.

Therefore, without limiting the invention to the constructions shown and described nor enu'merating equivalents, I claim, and deg, sire to obtain by Letters Patent, the following: i 1. In a machine for expanding sheet metal, I the combination of means for supporting the l sheet in an upright position, and means for I slittin and expanding .the sheet substantially orizontally, for substantially the pur poses set forth.

2. In a machine for expanding sheet metal, the combination of means for supporting. the. sheet in an upright position, means for slitting and expanding the sheet substantially jhpvrizontanyj d r vision for pe mit i g the sheet to feed downward by gravity,for

l I substantially the purposes set forth.

lower edge of the sheet, provision for permittin the sheet to feed downwardly by gravity, and means for shifting the punch-bar transversely after each stroke, for substantially the purposes set forth.

4. In a machine for expanding sheet metal,

the combination of means for supporting the sheet in an upright position, a reciprocating punch-bar, means for shifting said bar transversely to the direction of reciprocation, and a clamp for holding the sheet and preventing feeding, for substantially the purposes set forth. a

5. In a machine for expanding sheet metal, the combination with provision for maintaining the sheet in an upright position, of a punch-bar having a reciprocating movement .in two directions at an angle to each other in a substantially horizontal plane, for substantially the purposes 'set forth.

6. In a machine for expanding sheet metal, the combination of a support for supporting the sheet in an upright position, clamping means for maintaining said sheet in such position, a reciprocatin punch-bar, and means independent of said 0 amping means for automatically clamping the sheet as said sheet is cut and expanded by the punch-bar, for substantially the purposes set forth.

7. In a machine for expanding sheet metal,

the combination of means for supporting the sheet in an upright position, a reciprocating punch-bar for slitting and expanding, the

sheet substantially horizontally, and means for automatically clamping the sheet at each stroke of the punch-bar,'i r substantially the purposes set forth.

8. In a machine for expanding sheet metal, the combination of a support for supporting the sheet in an uprightposition, another support against which the sheet is held by springpressure, and means for slitting and expanding the sheet substantially horizontally.

9. In a machine for expanding sheet metal, the combination of suitable supports for supporting the sheet in an upright position, devices for maintaining the sheet in said position, means forslitting and expanding the sheet substantially horizontally, and a horizontally-movable clamp for clamping the sheet against one of its supports to prevent feeding.

10. In a -machine for expanding sheet metal, the combination of means for supporting the sheet in an upright position, a punchbar provided with knives or cutters, a block or support for said punch-bar movable transversely of the machine, a transversely-movable carriage for said support, means for shifting the carriage transversely, a slidable carriage actuated. to and from the sheet to be operated upon, and a cutter adapted to cooperate with said movable knives or cutters.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HERBERT EUGENE VVI'IITE.

Witnesses:

FRANK K. CLARK, ORSON D. KAISER. 

